Drawing of galvanized wire



Patented Aug. 30, 1938 I ST DRAWING F GALVANIZED WIRE Frank Jenks, Port Waratah, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, assigncr to Rylands Brothers (Australia) Limited, Port Waratah, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, a corporation of New South. Wales No Drawing. Application May 22, 1931, Serial No. 144,303. in Australia July 14, ms

' 3,0laims. (01. 205-21 This invention consists in improvements in the process of dry drawing steel wire, which is galvanized" or otherwise coated with zinc or zinc alloys either before or at an intermediate stage in the drawing passes and it has for its object the production of zinc or zinc-alloy covered steel wire by means whereby it will be ,caused to come from the final pass well finished with its surface clear and bright.

In usual practice steel wire rod is drawn in an appropriate number of passes to reduce its section to its ultimate required size and is then coated with zinc or zinc alloy. In some cases the zinc or zinc alloy coating has been applied to the steel wire at some stage prior to the reduction of the wire to finished size, and after coating it is reduced to the finished size, by drawing down in subsequent passes.

In the wire drawing process, efiicient die lubrication is efiected with solid or semi-solid lubricants, such as dry sodium soap, greases, mixtures of greases with lime or certain other substances, metallic stearates alone, or .metallic stearates mixed with other materials.

Butin all cases where such lubricants are used in the drawing passes, the drawn wire is coated, wholly or partly, with a strongly adherent film which is usually of dull colour. This discoloration detracts from the appearance of the wire 30 and the presence of the film results in difliculties in certain after treatment to which the wire may have to be subjected.

If certain liquid lubricants instead of plastic or hard lubricants be used, the surface of the 5 wire is not substantially injured by the presence of a film derived from the lubricant. But in this case eflicient lubrication is not obtained.

The object of this inventionis to provide a process whereby galvanized wire, which is em-' 40 ciently lubricated with the abovementioned plastic lubricants or hard lubricants in the drawing passes may befinished in a final drawing stage or stages and delivered therefrom in bright and clean condition.

In carrying out the invention in manufacturing conditions steel rod or steel wire ln a size substantially larger than that required in the finished wire is first galvanized. This zinc or zinc alloy coated wire is then drawn down, using an efiior passes, leaving the wire as it emerges from the final die with a clean and highly polished surface.

In addition to removing the lubricant coatin steam, hot water, hot aqueous solution or hot emulsion raises the temperature of the wire as.

the wire passes into the die, and renders the zinc more amenable to the drawing operation, as its ductility is increased with temperature.

The solvent agent is preferably applied by circulating it through chambers intermediate successive dies, that is to say, a chamber intermediate the final die and the penultimate die and if desired also another chamber between the penultimate die and the die preceding it in the series. The wire goes through the solvent flooded chamber or chambers in its course to the final dies.

But other methods of subjecting the wire to the softening or solvent action of the fluids may be used, as the particular method of application of the fluid is a matter of convenience and it is therefore subject to variation.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A multistage process of drawing steel wire which is coated with zinc or zinc alloy, consistingin applying dry or plastic lubricants to the wire onlyin the drafts preceding the final draft or drafts, and in the final draft stage or stages applying to, the wire a fluid which has a solvent or softening action on the surface film of discolored lubricant which has adhered "to the wire in the earlier lubricating drafts so as to procure removal of the said film in the final drawing stage or stages.

2. A multistage process of drawing steel wire which is coated with zinc or zinc alloy, consisting in applying dry or plastic lubricants to the wire in the drafts preceding the final draft stage or only in the drafts preceding the final draft or,

drafts, and in the final draft stage or stages, applying to the wire steam or hot aqueous liquid solution or hot emulsion which liberates the surface filmoof discolored lubricant which has adhered to the wire in the earlier lubricating drafts,-

so as to procure removal of the said film in the final drawing stage or stages.

FRANK JE. 

